What is Success?

“What is success?”

And I know, I know…everyone has a different version of the definition – apparently...but we are all people, and for the most part this drives us to want the same things. To love, and be loved…to have a purpose, and a core motivation…to eat an entire family sized lasagna by yourself without being sick. See, that’s probably just me with that last one. But yeah, the question does confuse me – and if I don’t fully understand what it means to be successful, then how will I know when I have reached this grand milestone?

You see at the moment I feel like I have graduated from the meager caterpillar stage…wandering around aimlessly, just consuming everything – with no clear direction…and now I am in the chrysalis stage, locked away in my bedroom cocoon, beavering away…with the hope that I will somehow magically burst into life, like a vibrant butterfly, and spread my wings. Confident, and suave…the Kanye West of comedy writing.

Precious, ey? Well, although it would be lovely if all that were true – and trust me, it’s what I like to tell myself during my various conversations with, well…myself. I don’t think it is what life is like. Not really. Although it isn’t a sleek, or glamorous metaphor; I reckon we are a lot more like the snail.

Yup. We just mosey on along…pulling along all of the baggage that we accrue day after day…yes, the moss…the dirt…it builds on top of us, but we keep on going, we absorb it…it becomes who we are.

We can look back at any time, and see the trails that we once took, glistening behind us. Often we went the wrong way, repeated back on ourselves, or looped, and looped, with no clear purpose. But we are still here – and the only real decision is…where are we going now?

Yeah, I see that too…and I don’t think there is such thing as a wrong direction, just a different one. And the harder one’s usually do add more to the feeling of success at the end… I guess, though there’s no real end either… and a successful life will be full of up and downs

Like your explanations of success through insecty metaphors and although I like your snail analogy very much I want to have a go! Maybe success is much like the worm blindly digging through all the dirt and hoping not to get eaten by a bird. Or the fictional spider determinedly building his web (success being a nicely decorated home with adequate supply of sustenance) no matter how many times some git pulls it apart. Or the ant, making connections with fellow ants and realising everything is awesome when you’re part of team…Yup totally slipped in the lego movie song there. And I will stop writing now before someone figures out where I live and arranges to have me committed…

Wow Pottsy, you took it to the next level! I was hoping someone would have more to say on this! I must say I do like the worm one…burrowing away, with no real direction, never sure of what may happen – good or bad!

I guess for me i put the idea of success in the same category as perfection they are concepts, ideas that encourage people to aspire in their individual pursuits. I agree with the idea of there not being a wrong way too as there are many paths that reach the same destination some are direct, some have detours, others will have obsticles and some may even have a round-a-bout to delay ones arrival. Its all about what we learn and take from the journey thats important, well to me anyway.

Success is whatever you define it to be. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but really what’s the alternative? We can’t ALL be successful in the same way, and we don’t all have the same capabilities. And it can change over time.

Ten years from now I think “success” will be to mix in some of the hobbies I used to enjoy, as well has have a body of writing that I’m proud of. Maybe having recovered some of my fluency in Mandarin and/or Russian, maybe learning some Spanish. Maybe having had the opportunity to travel at least once. We’ll see!

Exactly, exactly! So the definition for yourself always changes! That’s why I feel it’s a gradual thing, it’s just life…there is no one definitive moment but just a succession of (hopefully) successful moments in our lives. Seems like you’re doing great, and have the right outlook 🙂